please empty your brain below
I'm surprised that Portsmouth, which claims to have the highest population density outside Inner London, doesn't get a mention. Is this because of different definition, or because the grid squares used in Portsmouth all include an area of open water?

dg writes: If you read Alasdair's post, Portsmouth does get a mention.

Ian | 07.02.23 - 8:07 a.m. | #

And Bow Common in my youth was possibly the least densely populated area in London, being a serial chain of bombsites, and in autumn, a s[plash of purple rosebay willowherb!

Chrispy | 07.02.23 - 8:21 a.m. | #

Thanks dg, it's an interesting read!

Ian | 07.02.23 - 9:03 a.m. | #

I live in the Brighton one, along with 17017 others.

Tufty | 07.02.23 - 10:15 a.m. | #

I was a bit surprised to see Upton Park among the contenders. There are a few low rise blocks but it's still mostly terraced houses.

freddie | 07.02.23 - 10:26 a.m. | #

A surprising lack of houseboats moored on the canal.

Kev | 07.02.23 - 10:56 a.m. | #

And I'm guessing the least populated square would be in the Scottish highlands somewhere.

Adrian | 07.02.23 - 11:11 a.m. | #

Great post! Paris or Barcelona density would indeed be lovely

Mnatbog | 07.02.23 - 11:13 a.m. | #

There’ll be hundreds, probably thousands, of 1km grid squares with zero population.

diamond geezer | Homepage | 07.02.23 - 11:15 a.m. | #

I love the population fact - Tower Hamlets still hasn't hit its prewar population (~340k) or its 1921 population (~530k)!

James Scantlebury | 07.02.23 - 11:40 a.m. | #

as you say we aren't even touching the sides in london when it comes to density. and Even those places in europe that are twice as dense as this, don't feel insanely dense.

London might be in the sort of 'worst of both worlds' of density, where you get a lot of the downsides (noise, litter, congestion) without some of the big efficiency gains like completely walkable blocks and good facilities on pretty much every street corner like you will see in central Barcelona or in far eastern cities.

Alistair Twin | 07.02.23 - 12:20 p.m. | #

Thank you for pointing out that London isn't as densely populated as Paris or Barcelona, and that we're not as 'full' as certain newspapers would have us believe!
Though trying to explain to people (who mostly live outside of London) that this is the case falls on deaf ears!

A shortfall in adequate and affordable housing is not the same thing as 'being full'!

Cornish Cockney | 07.02.23 - 1:34 p.m. | #

A fascinating analysis but what interests me particularly is how many cars does this enormous number of people own and where are they parked?

J. | 07.02.23 - 1:56 p.m. | #

J., I understand over 40% of London households don’t have a car, so maybe many of the households here are car-less.

Lorraine | 07.02.23 - 2:19 p.m. | #

About a third of households in this part of Tower Hamlets own a car. Average household size hereabouts is about 2.8. So only about 3000 cars. Quite parkable.

diamond geezer | Homepage | 07.02.23 - 2:19 p.m. | #

Thanks for the info. Before and during the war, my mother, grandmother, aunts and uncles lived just on the edge of the grid in terraced homes backing up to the cemetery; they did get some bomb damage, but weren't completely demolished and are still today (now with indoor plumbing--they didn't have that in the 1950s). One uncle/aunt moved off Lockhart St and into "new" flats in the early 1960s to Broomfield St in Poplar--a quick walk away and within that current high population grid. Those flats are still there. Back then there used to be more of those prefab war bungalows in the area--now replaced with more flats.

Mary | 07.02.23 - 7:44 p.m. | #

FYI 3k would take up 3.7% of the entire square km.. so not crazy.. though if it was all on-street parking then it could make a very high proportion of available public space.

Alistair Twin | 07.02.23 - 8:15 p.m. | #

If all of the development potential in the Lisson Grove square was realised, it could easily equal Bow.

Some additional (re)development is happening but there are some sites that have been empty for while that are zoned for tower blocks and other high density.

MilesT | 08.02.23 - 11:18 a.m. | #

"two intermittent single deckers"
Also the 277 and D7, both of which run the full length of Burdett Rd and constitute important links to Mile End to the North and Canary Wharf to the South.

Gordon Jackson | 08.02.23 - 12:40 p.m. | #

You mention the Fenchurch St line clipping the corner.. you didn't mention that it also has the Elizabeth Line (Shenfield branch) running along under it, but alas neither have platforms.

Basil Jet | 09.02.23 - 4:46 p.m. | #











TridentScan v2.10.0 | Privacy Policy